Rain Rot

It's spring, Abby is shedding, and it's time to get out the shedding blade and a brush and get to work. (It also means that you come home absolutely covered in horsehair!)

As I was brushing Abby, I noticed that some of the hair was lifting up in places on her withers and back and coming out in patches. You can see one of the patchy places on her withers in this photo. 

Here it is after being brushed - all that hair lifted off down to bare skin.

 Normal shed out hair should look like this - not patches, just lots of fuzz.

I could see more bare skin rather than her summer coat in several areas, so I took some photos, went home, and did some sleuthing online. I was pretty sure it was just rain rot, but I wanted to be sure I did not have ringworm or, even worse, mange to deal with.

I sent the photos to Tim and asked him to take a look at her when he went out to the barn later that day. I'd also checked the other horses and I think that Hokey might have some rain rot, too.

 Rain rot is common and not serious, but you do need to keep an eye on it. I've got a scrim sheet that I can put on Abby to protect her skin from the sun if need be, and I will check and make sure her hair is growing back and that the rain rot is not worsening.

This is the first time since I got her eight years ago that I have had any kind of health issue with her, and luckily it is not a serious one. She'll be fine.